


And We'll Be Good

by tvparty18



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 15:39:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6201007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvparty18/pseuds/tvparty18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hershel dies in the winter and Beth needs the summer before she's good again. A Songfic based on Waxahatchee's (and Emily Kinney's) "Be Good."</p>
            </blockquote>





	And We'll Be Good

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, that's all mine. Everything else belongs to Robert Kirkman, Frank Darabont, AMC, Image, and anyone else involved. The song used is “Be Good” by Waxahatchee. Tom Waits belongs to himself.

_“So we will drink beer all day and our guards will give way and we'll be good.”_  
_\- Waxahatchee_

Her daddy dies the first week in February and Beth’s never felt more alone in her life. She comes in from helping Daryl fix the chicken coop, walks by her daddy sitting on the sofa, says “hello,” and backtracks when he doesn’t respond. She doesn’t remember, really, what she says; maybe she screams, maybe she whispers but she gets Daryl and he calls Rick Grimes and Michonne comes and checks his pulse and as they’re putting him on the stretcher, Daryl pulls her on the porch and back around the house. She cries, big, fat, sopping tears and Daryl stands awkwardly beside her, biting his thumb nail. Someone calls Maggie and Maggie says Glenn will get a hold of Shawn. Rick and Michonne and the EMTs leave but Beth never moves from the porch and maybe it’s something that Daryl stays. He stays until Glenn pulls up and Maggie’s running out of the car before it even stops. He leaves but he comes back day after day, stands at the back of the church during the service, talks quietly with Rick on the outside of the reception.

Shawn stays the weekend but he has to get back to base and “you understand, dont’cha Bethy? Call if you need anything.” Maggie and Glenn stay the week and while Glenn busies himself helping Daryl finish the chicken coop and mend the outer fence, Beth can see Maggie growing restless with each day. She knows neither of them blame her but Daddy still died on her watch and that’s something Beth can’t seem to get out of her mind. When Maggie and Glenn finally head back to Atlanta, Beth can feel the bitterness seeping through.

She doesn’t want the farm, never did, but knows she has to keep it for him. Shawn was the first to leave, right after her mama died. Joined the Army the day after he turned eighteen and just could never come home. Maggie waited a couple years before heading to college in the big city and, truth be told, Beth had left too but when Hershel lost his leg and the family meeting had been called, Beth was the only one who stayed. She put nursing school on hold and came home. Beth was sweet and kind and loyal but she resented Maggie’s independence and Shawn’s courage and when she was left alone on the farm, looking at everything that was hers, she felt the bile seep into her heart right next to the jealously and the anger. She’d be graduating in May if she had stayed but now she feels trapped and it’s nobody’s fault but she wants to blame someone.

Her daddy’s been dead two weeks and the sun’s barely even up when she hears the familiar rumble of a pickup truck on the gravel outside the house. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and makes her way to the front door.

“What’re you doing here?” She yells from the porch.

He’s got a cigarette hanging from his lip as he hops out of the truck. “It’s Saturday.”

Beth sighs with her hands on her hips, “I know what day it is, Daryl.” 

“I got work to do.” He waves his arm in the direction of the half painted barn, “Come on, gotta finish ‘fore the rain comes.”

Almost a year before, Hershel had needed some work done on the tractor and Tyreese from the garage in town had sent out Daryl. After the tractor was fixed, Hershel kept giving Daryl projects and Daryl kept showing up to do them. Some times during the week if he had free time but usually every Saturday, Beth would hear the same crunch of the gravel under his trucks tires.

They didn’t talk much but she always brought him out a sandwich and when he mentioned that he happened to like grape jelly, she started buying it at the store. It took him a while to even notice her until she offered to help him put up new fence posts. He scoffed at her offer but she flipped him off, grabbed a shovel, and started digging. She was a tiny thing but for the first time he noticed the muscles in her arm and the strength in her shoulders and maybe she was a force to be reckoned with.

For whatever reason, Beth doesn’t expect him to come back after her daddy died but he does, every Saturday, like clockwork. The first Saturday in March, Beth’s in the kitchen making sandwiches when a light knock on the back door startles her out of her stupor. She can see Daryl through the screen, shifting lightly from foot to foot.

“I was just finishing lunch.” She offers as she opens the door for him.

He nods and steps into the kitchen, “I, uh,” he picks lightly at his knuckles but keeps his gaze trained on her, “your daddy always paid me the first Saturday of the month.”

Beth taps herself lightly on the forehead, “Oh my gosh, Daryl. I hadn’t even realized. Let me get my bag.”

“It’s all right. It’s fine if you don’t…”

“No, no. It’s only right. Did he give you cash or a check?”

“A check, usually.” And he’s biting his thumbnail as she leaves in search of her purse.

He’d only been in Hershel’s house a handful of times but it’s still off without him there. Daryl feels strange, being alone with Beth, but he feels sorry for her shut up on the farm, surviving. He didn’t know Shawn much at all but had been friends with Glenn for a few years and knew Maggie fairly well. He had always assumed Maggie was the strong one but when Beth had stayed behind, put everything aside to take care of Hershel and run the farm, Daryl had realized how much he had underestimated the youngest Greene girl. But he still feels sorry for her, watches every week as she tries to make light of the life she chose. He knows she can handle it but he also knows she won't admit that sometimes she needs the help.

Beth smiles lightly as she hands him his check then offers him a seat at the kitchen table. They eat in their usual silence until Beth lets out a sigh. Daryl raises his eyes just a centimeter to look at her.

She’s got her head tilted to the side and is chewing slowly, a thoughtful expression on her face. Daryl watches as she swallows, going back to his sandwich before she speaks.

“Do you drink?”

Daryl puts his sandwich back on the plate, “Nah. Not anymore.”

“Oh.” She says with a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Why?” He grunts.

Beth shrugs, “Just wondering. I don’t…drink. You know, cause of my dad, but I was just thinking, I could use a drink.”

Daryl knows what that means, the weight of that statement maybe even more than Beth does. Theirs is a small town and Daryl’s lived in it, on the outskirts of it, his entire life. Daryl remembers before Maggie was born, maybe even before Hershel met Annette when he’d be at the bar in town, trying to drag his own daddy or brother home. Hershel always sat at the end of the bar, quiet, leaving everybody to their business but once, maybe twice he stepped in on Daryl’s account. Hershel was a drinking man back then but he was always a good man.

“Your pop wouldn’t like it.” He offers with a frown.

Beth shakes her head, “I don’t care.” She gives him a sad smile before going back to her sandwich.

Daryl finishes his work not long after lunch and Beth spends the rest of the day debating walking into town and getting herself a drink. Instead of doing that she orders pizza and waits on the porch, watching the sunset.

The rumble of a motorcycle draws her eyes to the long road and she doesn’t realize it’s Daryl until he steps off of the bike. His hair’s wet but his face is clean and he’s wearing a long sleeved flannel she doesn’t recognize. Beth watches intently as he unhooks something from the back of his bike and makes his way up to the porch.

“What’s up?” Beth asks, rising to meet him on the stairs.

He grunts out a “here” and shoves a brown paper bag into her hands.

Beth ganders inside to find a six pack of beer. “Daryl, you didn’t have to…”

He shrugs, “It’s all right. That’s what I used’t drink, when I was your age.” He gives her a small nod before turning on his heel and heading back down the steps.

Beth reaches out and grabs his elbow, “Wait, aren’t you gonna stay?” Instead of saying anything, Daryl just looks at her, “I can’t have my first drink alone…and I just ordered pizza.”

He grunts out a response but turns back around and takes a seat in the rocking chair next to hers. Beth doesn’t hesitate to take the six pack out of the bag and pry a can off. She grabs a second one and holds it out to Daryl.

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Come on, Daryl. Please.” She gives him the softest smile she can muster.

He grabs the beer can out of her hand because he’s a sucker and deep down she knows it.

The pizza comes not long after and the two settle into a companionable silence, sipping and chewing.

“This is shittier than I remember.” Daryl offers as he finishes his beer.

“What? The pizza?” Beth asks, putting a piece of pepperoni in her mouth.

“Nah, pizza’s good. The beer.”

“It’s not so bad. It’s beer.”

“Never really used to drink it like this. Had a thing for shotgunning.”

“What’s shotgunning?”

Daryl bites his lip and puts his plate beside his rocking chair, “Hand me another one.” He takes the can from Beth and pulls a pocketknife from his pocket, “So you poke a hole in the side here and then flip the tab.”

Beth can’t help the giggle the escapes her lips as Daryl “shotguns” his beer. When he’s finished there’s a small trickle of foam running down his chin but his lips are quirked just slightly at the corners.

“I wanna do it!” Beth says, grabbing a can for herself and reaching her hand out for his pocket knife.

“I dunno, girl.” He mumbles with his bottom lip fixed between his teeth.

Beth hrmphs “I’m not gonna break, Daryl.”

“Fine,” he says handing over the knife, “but you’re switching to water after this.”

“Yes, Mr. Dixon.” She holds the can at eye level, “Okay, the hole goes here?” She pushes her index finger into the side of the can and Daryl nods. “Here goes nothing.”

Beth lets out a triumphant laugh as she sets the empty can down but her smile falters when she catches Daryl’s eyes on her. She knows he’s thinking about her daddy, thinking he must be stuck with her now that she doesn’t have anyone else. The loneliness that hides itself in the back of Beth’s heart starts to creep in before she can even realize it. It’s beginning to be easier to manage with Daryl around and she sort of wishes he knew that.

“I wish it was summertime.” She says with a sigh, “everything’s easier in the summer.”

Daryl shakes his head slightly. “Missing him ain’t never gonna get easier.”

“I know. I thought maybe this might make it hurt a little less.” She takes a sip from her first can. “I know you miss him too.” Beth wipes at her eyes and offers Daryl a smile. “See that little patch of primroses, down by the pond?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“We used to lay out there and look at the stars and Daddy would tell us all the different constellations.” She raises from the rocking chair and heads down the steps, “Come on. We can find Cancer.”

Daryl follows her down to the small patch of flowers where they both settle in on the grass. It’s dewy from the cool night air but Beth doesn’t seem to mind and Daryl could care less.

“You all right?” He asks softly.

Daryl can just make out the teeth of her smile in the dark, “Right now? I’m good. Are you?”

Daryl nods, “I’m good.”

It starts to become a routine every Saturday that spring for Daryl and Beth. They sit on the porch and drink up their grief and wait for warmer weather, alone in their own world.

When the nights get longer and the days warmer all of Beth’s old friends start to make their way back into town when school ends. Beth always hates this time of year, having to pretend that it doesn’t bother her that everyone else is out living their lives and she’s still stuck on the farm. Now it’s worse because they all know about Hershel and the pity in their eyes mask the condescending tone in their voices and Beth really doesn’t need to see anyone.

Tara starts texting her incessantly the weekend she comes home and almost an hour into it she’s getting messages from Rosita too. Beth gives vague responses at first but after a while stops answering all together.

She’s sitting under a big oak tree eating lunch with Daryl when her phone buzzes for what feels like the hundredth time.

“Hot commodity today, huh?” Daryl asks after taking a sip of his lemonade.

“Some of my old friends are home for a few days since the semester ended.” Beth says between bites.

He nods, “Yeah?”

Beth shrugs, “They want me to go out tonight.”

“You should. What else you gonna do?”

“I dunno,” she lets out a chuckle, “be bored at home. Content with my boredom.”

“You’re young, you should see your friends. It’s important.”

“I appreciate the sentiment but I’m not very good at socializing anymore. Just got a string of failed attempts these days.” She gives a light chuckle again but there’s bitterness behind it.

“You socialize just fine with me,” Daryl’s lips quirk up just a hair at the corners.

Beth smiles, “You’re different. I don’t have to put any effort in with you.”

Daryl snorts, “Thanks.”

She elbows him lightly in the side, “You know what I mean.”

“Mmhmm.” He brushes his hair out of his eyes and looks at her, “still think it would do you some good to go.”

She sighs, “If you think so.”

Tara picks her up at eight on the dot with Rosita hanging out the window of the passenger side. They go to the college bar in the town over because Rosita’s boyfriend is there with some friends from Virginia. The music’s too loud and Beth orders a beer and doesn’t really drink it but peeling the label off gives her something to do with her hands. One of Rosita’s Virginia friends tries to chat Beth up. His name’s Aiden, he’s in law school and his mom’s a senator. He’s a showoff and plays a shitty song on the jukebox and Beth has to reign back in the “Hallelujah” she practically shouts when Tara asks in they want to meet up with Denise at the dingy old bar back in town.

When they pull into the parking lot, Beth notices a now familiar pick up truck parked on the edge and she wishes she could ignore the little flutter in her stomach. The flutter turns into a full-blown butterfly frenzy when they walk into to find Daryl sitting with Denise.

Denise waves them over with a bright smile. As the four girls crowd around Denise and Daryl, Tara asks “who’s this” in unison with Beth’s “how do you know Denise.”

“Tara this is my friend, Daryl. Daryl this is my girlfriend, Tara.” Denise offers brightly.

The corner of Daryl’s mouth quirks as he winks at Denise and says “pop.” Denise’s cheeks redden when Daryl shakes Tara’s hand and offers, “You’re the one that likes the orange Coke.”

Tara smiles brightly “Yeah, that’s me.”

Daryl’s lips quirk, “She talks about ya a lot.”

Tara nods and crosses her arms, “Good.”

Daryl then turns his attention to Beth and his smile almost becomes noticeable, “Denise’s stitched me up a time or two over the years.”

Rosita looks up from her phone with a wicked grin, “How do you know each other, Bethy?”

“Daryl’s a friend of Daddy’s. He helps out on the farm sometimes.”

“I bet he does.” Rosita says with a wink.

Before Beth can respond the bar tender is asking for their drink order. She gets another beer that she probably won’t drink and follows the girls to a booth in the back. Daryl keeps his seat at the bar, eyes trained on the baseball game playing on the TV. It doesn’t take long for Rosita’s Virginia friends to meet up with them again and much to Beth’s chagrin, she finds herself being cornered by Aiden. She can stand about an hour of it before she’s craving the boredom she left back on the farm.

She makes her way back to the bar and slides into the only open spot next to Daryl. He nudges her lightly with his shoulder but doesn’t take his eyes off of the TV until her attempts at signaling the bartender continue to fail.

“Need another drink?” He asks.

Beth shakes her head, “Just trying to close my tab.”

“Y’all heading out?” He rolls the beer bottle between his hands, eyes trained on the TV.

“No, just me. I’m kinda done.” As if to signify her point, Beth yawns.

The beer bottle makes a light whistling sound, “Seemed like you were having an okay time.”

Beth laughs lightly, “I’m good at faking it. I guess.”

He takes a sip of his beer. “You drive?”

“No, Tara did but I can walk home.” She starts unsuccessfully signaling to the bartender again.

“I’ll drive you.” Daryl drains the last of his beer and sets the bottle down on the bar.

“No, stay,” Beth pats his forearm lightly, “I’ll be all right.”

Daryl shrugs “Inning’s almost over, anyway. They ain’t got a shot in the 9th.”

“If you insist.” The bar door opens and Beth notices the chill from the outside run quick up her arms. “Dammit, I left my jacket in the booth.”

“I’ll take care of this,” he nods towards the bartender, “you take care of that.”

As Beth makes her way back to the booth Aidan, who’s holding her jacket but not offering it, heads her off.

“You sure you’ve got to leave?” He says with a bright smile.

Beth forces a yawn. “Yeah, I’ve got an early start tomorrow.”

“I’m in town for the week. We should do drinks just the two of us. Get to know each other a little better.” He reaches out to touch her arm as Beth gives an involuntary shudder.

“Umm…I don’t…”

Beth can feel the warmth of someone behind her, lightly touching her shoulder and his voice is rough as he speaks, “Get your coat?”

Beth watches Aidan’s eyes move from her to the hand on her shoulder and up to the man it belongs to.

“Who’re you?” Aidan asks incredulously.

“Her boyfriend. Who’re you?” Daryl’s voice goes an octave deeper as he squeezes Beth’s shoulder. It must do the trick because Aidan’s eyes widen just slightly as he takes a half step back.

“Just a…just a friend of Rosita’s.” Aidan holds her jacket out to her and without a word turns back to the booth.

Beth doesn’t say anything until they clamber into Daryl’s truck.

“I can take care of myself, you know.” She says with a huff as he slams the driverside door.

“I know. He didn’t seem to want to let you though.” Daryl’s voice is barely a whisper but still raspy from before.

“I don’t need you to be my boyfriend.” She says, crossing her arms and turning in the seat to stare at him.

“I don’t wanna be your boyfriend.” He pulls a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket and lights it.

“Well, that’s a relief because I don’t wanna be your girl.” Beth turns back towards the road.

He takes a long drag and blows it out the window. “Good. Glad we cleared that up.”

They’re silent for a while, just the sound of the radio static as Daryl fools with the dial until he finds something he likes.

Beth doesn’t hold back her smile when a Tom Waits song plays through on the radio and he puts his hand back on the steering wheel.

“Do you and Denise hang out a lot?” She asks, picking at her cuticles.

“Nah. I was just there watching the game. The power’s out in my building. She just happened to be there. She’s cool.”

Beth smiles, “Yeah, yeah she is. She makes Tara happy.”

Daryl grunts, “Tara makes her happy.”

They’re quiet the rest of the drive to the farm until Daryl pulls up in front of the house.

Beth truly has no idea what possesses her but before she has time to analyze it, when Daryl turns his head to say good night she leans in and pecks him lightly on the lips.

He stares at her dumbfounded for a beat then starts to stutter, “Beth…I…it’s not…”

“I know, Daryl.” She climbs out of the truck and slams the door then leans in the open window, “Goodnight.”

Maggie spends most of the summer trying to talk Beth into visiting Atlanta one weekend and in July Beth finally gives in. Daryl thinks she should go, take a break from the farm for a while, and he promises to check in periodically while she’s away.

The drive to Atlanta isn’t too long and Maggie looks genuinely excited when she opens the door for Beth. Beth finds that she kind of loves being pulled around the city by Maggie, going to her sister's favorite coffee spot and seeing where she works and meeting her friends for dinner. She likes being around Glenn too, likes the early morning chats they have while Maggie is still asleep and his sarcastic one liners, and his blueberry pancakes. Glenn asks her about Daryl too, which both surprises and comforts her. As the weekend moves along, Beth starts to think that maybe was Maggie was right for staying in the city. The farm and their mother's death had hardened Maggie. Beth thinks, as she sees her sister's easy smile, maybe what Maggie needed was the freedom.

On Saturday night, after Maggie and Glenn have gone to sleep she dials Daryl’s number. It rings and rings and she’s just about to hang up when his gruff voice is on the other end.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, Daryl, it’s Beth. Did I wake you up?”

“Oh, hey. Nah, watching TV. What’s up?”

“Just checking to see how things are going.”

“Things are fine. I went by around sundown and turned some lights on. Rick said he’ll pass by while he’s out on patrol. How’s it going in the big city?”

And just like that they fall into a comfortable conversation that goes on and on. Beth gives him a play by play of her weekend, how happy Maggie is and how Glenn makes her laugh and he tells her about his. Talks about going over to Rick and Michonne’s last night because Carl wanted to interview him for a school project. He’s meeting Carol for breakfast in the morning and is supposed to stop by Aaron’s to help with some project. He mentions how he ran into Rosita at the grocery store and she was grilling him about Beth. Beth tells him about how hard it had been to watch them all go away to school while she stayed and took care of Hershel and Daryl listens, mumbles every once in a while but lets her get it out. They talk and talk and talk until Beth can see the sun peaking in through her window.

“Sun’s coming up, Daryl.” Beth says with a yawn.

“Hmmm? Oh yeah, I can see it.” She can hear the slow in his speech as he fights sleep.

“Goodnight, Daryl.”

“Night, Beth.” She waits for a minute but never hears his phone click before she hangs up.

On a Friday at the end of the summer, Beth runs into Michonne in the grocery store. Beth is examining a sale display of grape jelly, trying to do the math in her head when she hears a chuckle next to her.

“Rick loves this stuff. I refuse to buy it unless it’s on sale.”

Beth smiles and nods, “It’s Daryl’s favorite but I’m a raspberry girl, myself.”

“Amen to that. I’m glad I ran into you, actually. Rick was supposed to say something to Daryl about you two coming to Judith’s birthday party on Sunday.” Michonne says, putting three jars of jelly into her cart.

“Oh, Daryl hasn’t said anything to me but I’ll ask him about it tomorrow.” Beth says taking two jars of her own.

  
Beth follows Michonne down the cereal aisle, examining box labels while Michonne stocks up on Lucky Charms.

“We’d love to have you guys,” Michonne says throwing in a box of Trix, “Judy adores both of you. It’s gonna be small, just a couple friends.”

Beth smiles, “Can I bring anything?”

“Just yourself and your man.”

“Oh, Michonne,” Beth giggles lightly and can feel the blush rising in her cheeks, “Daryl isn’t…my…man.”

“Really?” Michonne’s giggle matches Beth’s, “Oh, God, I just always assumed…”

“No, we’re just…well, I’m not really sure what we are.”

Michonne shrugs, “Doesn’t matter as long as you’re okay with it.”

“It’s good.” Beth smiles again, turning her cart in the opposite direction of Michonne’s, “and I’ll see you Sunday.”

Daryl’s underneath the kitchen sink, attempting to stop the leak that sprung up that morning while Beth hands him tools. She had been going over her conversation with Michonne all morning, debating whether to broach the subject with him or not.

“Wrench.” He says gruffly than adds a “please” as he sticks out his hand to her.

He places the wrench in his hand and focuses her eyes on the hole in the knee of his jeans, “So I ran into Michonne yesterday.”

“Yeah?” He mumbles from underneath the sink

“Yeah, she said Rick was supposed to invite you and me to their house on Sunday.”

There’s a loud clang from the sink, “yeah, he might’ve said something.”

“So, I guess you don’t want me to be there. Because you would’ve said something, otherwise, right?” It really, truly, doesn’t matter to Beth but she needs to know. She has to know where she stands, it’s the only way she can protect herself.

She hears a light thunk and then a sharp “shit” before Daryl pulls himself onto the floor of the kitchen, rubbing his head and sitting up to look at her.

“Nah, it ain’t that. I meant to say somethin’…it was just the way he asked. You know, like, you and I…” Daryl bites at his lip.

Beth lifts her eyes to meet his. “Were a couple?”

Daryl nods, “Yeah. Michonne do that too?”

Beth sighs, “is it really such a bad thing?”

“I don’t wanna be your boyfriend,” he grumbles, trying to look anywhere but her, “It’s not you. I don’t wanna be anybody’s boyfriend.”

“I know and I know it’s probably for the best. I like what we have. It’ll just get messy and you’ll hurt me.”

Daryl bites at his thumbnail, “Probably.”

Beth gives him a sad smile, “or maybe I’ll disappear. You’ll pull up one Saturday and I’ll be long gone.

The corners of Daryl’s mouth turn up. “Stop.”

Beth smiles wider. “Maybe I will. You’ll be the last man standing and you’re gonna miss me so bad when I’m gone, Daryl Dixon.”

Daryl runs a hand over his face, not quiet meeting her eyes. “You’ve got the farm.”

It doesn’t feel like her farm, it feels like her daddy’s and Maggie’s and Shawn’s and her mama’s but it doesn’t feel like hers. She feels dispossessed, like everything that ever belonged to her has been taken. But she’s still here and she has Daryl and that’s got to be worth something.

“Yeah, yeah I do.” She smiles, “got you, too.”

Daryl nods and Beth sees the slightly flash of teeth as his lips turn into a smile, “Got me, too.”

Beth hadn’t realized how much she needed to grieve. That was what her summer had been about but she also needed Daryl, more than she ever thought she would. And he had been there and been solid and honest and safe but as the days started getting shorter and the nights colder, Beth knew it was time to stop wallowing and take on what life had to offer her. Maybe it was knowing that Maggie was doing well or that Michonne appreciated her or that Daryl was with her but something clicked that weekend, something shifted and Beth knew it was time to start mending.

On Sunday morning she wakes up bright and early and drags Tara out of bed and into the diner down the street.

“I’ve been a shitty friend.” She says as Tara shovels chocolate chip pancakes into her mouth.

“Your dad died.” Tara offers between chews.

Beth takes a sip of her coffee. “Doesn’t excuse it.”

“Yes, it does.” Tara puts her fork down and reaches her hand across the table to grab Beth’s. “I understand and Rosita understands.”

Beth squeeze’s Tara’s hand, “Thank you. I needed to cut myself off from everyone for a while.”

“We’re always here, if you need us. And, seriously, come visit me in Virginia if the farm is too much. You can even bring Daryl. Maybe Denise’ll make the trek and it’ll be a weekend worth of double dates.”

Beth laughs, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Tara rolls her eyes, “Coulda fooled me.”

After breakfast with Tara, Beth takes the short walk through town to Daryl’s apartment. She sits on his sofa patiently while he attempts to wrap a gift for Judith before giving himself a third paper cut and passing the job off to Beth.

They walk over to Rick and Michonne’s together while she updates him on her breakfast with Tara. Daryl nods and grunts but Beth can tell by the way he bumps shoulders with her every once in a while that he knows things are getting better.

Judith’s fourth birthday is a happy affair and Beth is tickled at having been included. She’s a little surprised when Maggie and Glenn walk in but that should’ve been something she expected. Glenn has been friends with Rick almost as long as Daryl has, so it was an obvious oversight on her part to have missed it. She also thinks that, maybe, she should make more of an effort to talk to Shawn and Maggie during the week.

“Daddy should be here.” Maggie says as she comes to stand next to Beth watching Judith blow out her birthday candles.

Beth smiles, “I think he might be.”

“Oh yeah?” Maggie raises an eyebrow as she takes a sip from her lime green plastic cup.

“Yeah, that’s him in Carl talking to that girl and he’s there in Rick and Carol's laughter, and he’s in Michonne’s smile and Daryl’s blush. He’s here with us too.”

Maggie smiles, “You sound like you’re doing better.”

“I am. I needed the summer.” Beth salutes Daryl and Glenn with her cup, “You guys can stay at the farm tonight, if you want.”

Maggie takes Beth’s lead and waves her fingers in Daryl and Glenn’s direction. “I wish we could, really, but Glenn’s got an early meeting tomorrow.”

Beth takes a sip of her drink. “Some time soon, then.”

Maggie pulls Beth into a side hug. “Of course.”

Daryl’s truck pulls up in front of the farm right as the sun is going down.

“Wanna come in for a drink?” Beth asks as she opens the passenger door.

“Yeah, all right.” Daryl grumbles.

They spend what feels like the last day of summer drinking beer and letting their guards down. Beth talks about Maggie and Shawn and how she felt trapped all the time but maybe this is right, maybe it's where she needs to be. Daryl talks about Merle and his father and how he feels like nobody most of the time but he likes being at the farm, likes having a purpose. They both talk about Hershel. Beth knows, somehow, as they finish the last of their beers that this was the end of their grief but the beginning of something else. Something good.

“I think I’m over drinking.” Beth says while she lies out in the grass, grabbing at lightening bugs.

“For good?” Daryl asks, catching a lightening bug on his finger and handing it off to her.

She nods and smiles, “Yeah. I’m good now. I just needed the summer.”

Beth feels movement next to her before the light touch of Daryl’s lips on the side of her face. She smiles and pats his arm.

“We’re good now.” And Beth can feel his smile against her cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: So this is a songfic based off of “Be Good” by Waxahatchee and covered by Emily Kinney in “Alone.” There’s some blink and you’ll miss them spoilers for 6.10. Thanks for reading!


End file.
